I haven't been back to London since August of 2002, when I left that city flat on my back on a stretcher after my accident. I returned this January to celebrate my friend Keith's birthday and since I had a free afternoon, I took some time to go back and visit the place where my accident occurred. I was a bit scared to return to it, but I felt a pull to the place just to see it and to underscore some of the lessons I took from that life changing event.
Spring Street near Paddington station in London. I believe the apartment that I was staying in is on the corner second from the top.
This is the alley that is around back that I went to back in 2002
This is the fire escape I climbed up. It's much sturdier and complete than I remember it being.
So, what I must have done is climb up to the 4th floor and then believed I could climb across the window ledges and pipes to get to the window (unseen) that faces the backside (facing the fire escape).
St. Mary's Hospital, where I was taken and hospitalized for a few weeks before being flown back to the US.
This is the ward where I stayed. I talked to some nurses and told them my story. I am still amazed that I could walk in triumphantly after having been so far from being able to walk back in 2002.
In retrospect it wasn't actually that long of a recovery. The accident happened in August of 2002 and I was up walking by May 2003. One calendar school year. But the lessons I did learn were:
1) Sometimes things are OUT of ones control and you just have to accept the consequences. Hey, I locked myself out of the apartment just before trying to get to a flight back to the United States. So, who cares if I miss the flight and have to pay some money.
2) This is more of a 1A but sometimes you just have to let the world figure itself out. Again, this is about my issue of wanting to solve resolve and solve my problems at once. Right now, I am living this in a way. I am trying to figure out my employment situation for next year, but I know that I can't make it happen right now, but that things will happen in due time, I just have to trust it.
3) "The Shawshank Redemption" principle is what I call the last one. If you chip away at something each and every day, the outcome you want will happen. Back when I was doing physical therapy twice a day and it was boring and it seemed useless, well, look at the result. Luckily for me, I had distinct points along the way to work for so it broke up the work into discrete and seemingly tangible chunks, but it was a real lesson in the value of perseverance.
I spent about an hour at the two sites and left with a smile on my face. But I didn't dwell on it, it was simply off to the next place I wanted to go in London. Just like in my life, the accident and recovery was about a year of my life. But I've moved on and it's a part of my history, but doesn't define me. I thought it would at the time, but I think its healthier this way.
In retrospect it wasn't actually that long of a recovery. The accident happened in August of 2002 and I was up walking by May 2003. One calendar school year. But the lessons I did learn were:
1) Sometimes things are OUT of ones control and you just have to accept the consequences. Hey, I locked myself out of the apartment just before trying to get to a flight back to the United States. So, who cares if I miss the flight and have to pay some money.
2) This is more of a 1A but sometimes you just have to let the world figure itself out. Again, this is about my issue of wanting to solve resolve and solve my problems at once. Right now, I am living this in a way. I am trying to figure out my employment situation for next year, but I know that I can't make it happen right now, but that things will happen in due time, I just have to trust it.
3) "The Shawshank Redemption" principle is what I call the last one. If you chip away at something each and every day, the outcome you want will happen. Back when I was doing physical therapy twice a day and it was boring and it seemed useless, well, look at the result. Luckily for me, I had distinct points along the way to work for so it broke up the work into discrete and seemingly tangible chunks, but it was a real lesson in the value of perseverance.
I spent about an hour at the two sites and left with a smile on my face. But I didn't dwell on it, it was simply off to the next place I wanted to go in London. Just like in my life, the accident and recovery was about a year of my life. But I've moved on and it's a part of my history, but doesn't define me. I thought it would at the time, but I think its healthier this way.
1 comment:
I can't tell you how happy this post makes me. It's a very healthy way to look at any challenge we face. All at once, the problem seems insurmountable, but when you break things up into discrete steps and chunks it can be manageable. I remember sitting with you and repeating, "It's only a year" and while flat on your back, it seemed like forever, and day by day, it was slow, but look how far you've come!
PS, go to the Tate Modern for me and walk around that area to the Design Museum and then back across the millennium bridge! Wait, you're probably back in Italy. Oh well.
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